Select Local Merchants

Mennonite Historians of Eastern Pennsylvania in Harleysville houses a wide array of art and culture. Come see them today on a trip through this refined museum.
Parking is plentiful, so visitors can feel free to bring their vehicles.

At the turn of the 19th century, it became all too clear to historian and archaeologist Henry Mercer that handmade objects were being cast aside for machine-made things. He wanted to help preserve the pre-industrial way of life, and so he built a museum for his artifacts adjacent to his own home, Fonthill Castle. Today, Fonthill Castle is a National Historic Landmark and a museum in its own right, displaying handcrafted art both made by Mercer and collected by him during his world travels.
The Building: the concrete castle comprises 44 rooms, including 18 fireplaces and around 200 windows; its vastness earned it a feature on A&E's America's Castles
Crown Jewel: all through the castle, guests will find interior walls, floors, and ceilings adorned with Mercer's handcrafted tiles
Don't Miss: 14,000 of Mercer's collected
artifacts, including tiles, prints, textiles, and back issues of So You Own A Castle magazine
Hidden Gem: in one hallway ceiling, Henry Mercer inscribed a thank-you note addressed directly to everyone who helped build his home—including a horse
Annual Events: in the summer, there's Fonthill Castle Beer Fest, where guests pair local beers with local foods; in the winter, the castle is decked out for the holidays in Victorian-era splendor
While You’re in the Neighborhood: tour Henry's labor of love, the Mercer Museum next door, which houses his collection of pre-Industrial Age handmade objects

Use your free time to see the veritable treasures at Moravian Pottery and Tile Works' museum in Doylestown.
Service and taste make a great restaurant, and that's why you won't be disappointed by this museum.
Take the kids along too — this museum is a great spot for families with activities that even little ones will love.
Parking is plentiful, so guests can feel free to bring their vehicles.

Any connoisseur of museums will enjoy the fantastic The Stoogeum in Spring House.
What's a fine museum without fine dining to accompany it? Be sure to pick up a tasty meal when you visit their great restaurant.
This museum welcomes kids, too, so you can feel good about bringing the whole family.
Parking is plentiful, so guests can feel free to bring their vehicles.

Use your free time to see the veritable treasures at Chapman Gallery's museum in Doylestown.
With food just the way you like it, this museum elevates your restaurant experience just on the level of taste.
Save a seat for man's best friend — this is a dog-friendly museum.
Parking is plentiful, so visitors can feel free to bring their vehicles.

The patrons leave satisfied whenever they visit the museum at Simons Fine Art Gallery in Dublin.
While you're enjoying this museum, be sure to check out their amazing restaurant for a tasty meal.
Parking is plentiful, so patrons can feel free to bring their vehicles.

Groupon Guide

Let’s admit it: the segway has an image problem. A line of helmeted tourists zipping around Chicago’s Loop or the National Mall in Washington, DC is always enough to elicit snide remarks from the locals. No matter how fun or practical they may be, segways just aren’t cool. Except that, well, they are. After polling my coworkers and discovering that none of us had so much as set foot on a segway, I decided to sign up for a city segway tour myself. After all, there had to be a reason behind these tours’ enduring popularity. Ten seconds after hopping on a segway, I understood that reason completely.It Takes One Minute to Learn How to Ride a SegwayI signed up for a two-hour tour of downtown Nashville, which began with a 10-minute safety video about how to ride. Our group of about 10 people learned such helpful tips as “Stay off very uneven surfaces” (you’ll fall) and “Don’t try to go down stairs” (you’ll fall). Our cheerful tour guide then hopped on a segway and demonstrated its operating principles: how to move forwards, how to go in reverse, and how to stop. He hopped off and began inviting each of us, one at a time, to try it for ourselves. I was nervous, to say the least; surely I’d be the first person in history to fall in the segway training room. I shouldn’t have worried. Within about a minute, the segway felt like an extension of my legs as I criss-crossed the room, going up wooden ramps, turning, and stopping in front of the group. This was so easy, even a child could do it! (Actually, a child can do it—segway tours are usually for ages 12 and older).Segways are Incredibly ResponsiveA segway operates on a gyroscope, keeping its own balance while keeping you upright, as well. The handles on a segway are just for holding—all of the movement happens when you shift your toes to move forward and your heels to move backward. This machine senses when you’re on, when you’re off, and when you’ve run into something, and it tries to correct your balance at all times. It’s almost like a sentient pair of wheeled robot legs, which can be terrifying or comforting depending on how you think about it.You Get Over the Silliness Pretty QuicklyWhen our little group rolled tentatively out onto the sunny Nashville sidewalk, every single person we passed laughed at us or had something cute to say. Groups of teens yelled after us. An executive joked, “I’m late to a meeting, where’s mine?” An old man on a park bench hollered something cheeky. No one could let us roll along un-kidded. But you know what? Once the first 10 minutes of acute, oh-my-god-everyone’s-laughing embarrassment subsides, you just get over it. Yes, you’re wearing a lime-green helmet and following your guide like a baby duck in line. This is you. This is your life. And guess what? Your life rules.Segways are a Great Way to See the SightsTaking a segway tour is hands-down one of the best ways to see a city’s major downtown attractions. Think about it: you cover a ton of ground without wearing out your feet, and you get to ride with a cooling breeze fluttering your clothes. Better yet, your tour guide will explain everything you’re seeing and give you fun tidbits about the city along the way. Of course, taking a segway tour also proves that you can withstand gentle mocking from complete strangers, and that’s a good skill to have. You’ll step off that segway feeling stronger and even accomplished. Sure, maybe you did nothing but stand on robotic wheels, but sometimes a little risk can go a long way.

Some of the rarest plants you'll see at your local botanical garden or conservatory may also be the most unusual. Some may take an unusually long time to grow; others may have attributes right out of a sci-fi movie. Here’s what you should know about five of the strangest rare plant specimens—and where you can count on seeing them.Corpse Flower (Amorphophallus titanum)Also known as the titan arum, this plant gets its name from the stench it gives off when it blooms. This odor is produced as part of the plant’s reproductive cycle; in the wild, the scent attracts carrion beetles, which are hopefully carrying pollen from other corpse flowers. How Often It Blooms: It takes 5–10 years for a corpse flower to bloom—and that’s after the plant has taken around 8 years to grow large enough to support the massive bud. Where It Naturally Grows: The rainforests of western Sumatra. Where You Can See It: The United States Botanic Garden in Washington, DC, which houses 15 of the rare plants. Best Chance to See It Bloom: USBG’s last corpse flower bloomed in 2013. They currently have another specimen that’s about the same age and size, and its leaves could start falling off any day. After they do, it will only be a few months before the plant blossoms. Check USBG’s website for a blooming announcement.Jade Vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys)This plant needs tropical temperatures, high humidity, and an elevated structure (e.g. a tree) so it can grow upwards. When housed in outdoor botanical gardens, the specimen is often arranged upside down in order to attract bats, which can pollinate the flower. How Often It Blooms: As far as slow-blooming plants go, this one’s a speed demon that reliably blooms once a year. However, it’s very rare that the blossom actually produces seeds. When it does, the bean pods come out in the shape of corkscrews. Where It Naturally Grows: The Philippines. Where You Can See It: The Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, IL. Best Chance to See It Bloom: The CBG’s single specimen, which arches above a walkway, should bloom in mid-April. Stay updated on its status here.Vanilla Orchid (Vanilla planifolia)The vanilla orchid has the tiniest seeds of any plant species, which contributes to its slow growth rate. Like the jade vine, it needs a tree or some other elevated structure to grow upwards to 30 feet. How Often It Blooms: The plant takes around eight years to mature, then blooms once every spring for only 24 hours. It must then be hand-pollinated within the first 12 hours so it can grow the following year. Where It Naturally Grows: South Florida, Central and South America, Tahiti, and Madagascar. Where You Can See It: The Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables, FL. Best Chance to See It Bloom: Although the Garden’s International Orchid Festival just passed, some of the four onsite species of vanilla orchid may start to bloom between May and June.Giant Agave (Agave salmiana)A massive succulent, this spindly plant has a circle of leaves that can grow up to 12 feet wide and 6 feet tall. It can also reproduce asexually, often growing several smaller versions of itself. How Often It Blooms: One of the slowest growers on this list, the giant agave only blooms once every 35 years. It makes up for all that lost time by flowering for up to seven months. Where It Naturally Grows: Central and Southern Mexico. Where You Can See It: The San Francisco Botanical Garden in San Francisco, CA. Best Chance to See It Bloom: SFBG has been fortunate enough to average one flowering giant agave per year, which you can see throughout the summer months.Century Plant (Agave Americana)“Century plant” is a bit of a misnomer—it takes around 30 years for this beauty to reach blooming size. It uses all this time to store energy, which then gives life to a 30-foot stalk that resembles a giant asparagus and produces hundreds of golden blooms. How Often It Blooms: After its 30 years of maturing, the plant flowers every few years, then less frequently until its death. Where It Naturally Grows: Mexico, Arizona, and Texas. Where You Can See It: The New York Botanical Garden in New York City, NY. Best Chance to See It Bloom: You can see some smaller species in the desert galleries right now. However, the largest specimen last bloomed here 10 years ago, and it’s unclear when it will bloom again. Photos: Corpse flower courtesy of US Botanic Garden. Jade vine courtesy of Chicago Botanic Garden. Vanilla orchid courtesy of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. Agave ferox (variety of Agave salmiana) at the San Francisco Botanical Garden, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Century plant courtesy of New York Botanical Garden.

If you’re an avid museum-goer intent on seeing every last sarcophagus and decommissioned spaceship America has to offer, those admission costs can add up quickly. But getting a regular dose of culture doesn’t have to be such a strain on your wallet. Some of the country’s best (and weirdest) museums are 100% free, 365 days a year. Check out our list of the country’s top free museums to see where you can learn about everything from fine art to fake vomit, all without spending a penny.Smithsonian Air and Space Museum | Washington, D.C.The Smithsonian only houses the foremost collections of historic airplanes and spacecraft in the world. Here, you’ll find at least one landmark craft from every era in the history of flight, from Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis to the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, which flew reconnaissance missions during the Cold War. There’s even a collection of lunar vehicles from the Apollo missions.The Museum | New York City, NYEver wanted to see a carefully curated collection of fake vomit? What about toothpaste tubes from around the world? If you’re a normal, sane person, the answer is probably “No,” but sometimes we don’t know a great thing until we see it. Case in point: The Museum in New York, one of the world’s smallest (and certainly one of its strangest) museums. The collection here is constantly changing, but the crown jewel—the shoe thrown at President George W. Bush in 2008—is always on display.Art Car Museum | Houston, TXWho knew cars could be transformed into actual works of art? The vehicles on display at Art Car Museum aren’t your typical restored beauties, but they have their own charms. Instead of hot rods, you’ll find bicycles made of bones, bejeweled drag racers, and even a Ram truck molded to look like a monster—with the driver’s seat right in the beast’s mouth.The J. Paul Getty Museum | Los Angeles, CAThe Getty is both a cultural and a physical landmark, clearly visible from its perch above Interstate 405’s Sepulveda Pass. Visitors here can explore celebrated artworks hailing from both sides of the Atlantic and dating back to Antiquity. The collection includes works by Impressionist masters, unmistakable paintings by Jackson Pollock, and even studies by Leonardo da Vinci.The National Museum of the American Indian | New York City, NYDedicated to the diversity of the Native American nations spread across North, Central, and South America, The National Museum of the American Indian hosts rotating and touring exhibits throughout the year. Artifacts run the gamut from headdresses to intricate jewelry, and one ongoing exhibition features a study of traditional dances.Photos: Museum of the American Indian, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. | Spirit of St. Louis courtesy of Smithsonian Air and Space Museum | Shoe thrown at President George W. Bush, 2008. Courtesy of The Museum. | Fuente, Larry. Derby Racer. 1975. Mixed Media: Metal, Glass, Mirrors, and Plastics. Courtesy of Art Car Museum | Getty gallery with girl, courtesy of The Getty’s Facebook page. | Yupik dance outfit, Circle of Dance exhibit. Courtesy of The National Museum of the American Indian.Discover more museums:The Top Five US Museum Exhibits to Add to Your Bucket ListField Museums's Urban Anthropology Collection Spotlights Everyday Items